Eat More, Weigh Less

And run better. Yes, you can do all three. Here's how.

Weight loss is easy–if you adore microscopic meals and the hunger pangs that follow them. Fortunately, there's a better way. Believe it or not, you can actually lose weight by eating more. The key is to eat the right foods–ones with a low calorie density and a high volume.

This discovery came from more than a decade of research by Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., a nutrition researcher at Pennsylvania State University and one of the world's leading experts on appetite and appetite control. In study after study, Rolls found that people stopped eating after they had consumed the same amount of food–whether it was high-calorie food or lower-calorie alternatives.

Regardless of the food's calorie content, research subjects consistently polished off nearly identical servings by weight–about 3 pounds of food per day. Most important, the subjects felt just as full after the low-calorie meals as they did after the calorie-rich meals–provided both meals contained the same volume of food.

"The biggest mistake dieters make is that they eat less of everything, and then they feel hungry," says Rolls. A smarter alternative: Eat more foods that have a low calorie density (few calories per ounce) and a high volume. "You'll get more satisfaction for the same number of calories," says Rolls.

Rolls calls this plan "volumetrics," and it's the basis of her book The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan. The plan's two cardinal rules: (1) Foods loaded with water, fiber, and air have the lowest calorie density; and (2) Dry foods and high-fat foods have the highest calorie density. To lose weight, eat more of the first group, and less of the second group.

Below, we present side-by-side comparisons of many foods that runners like to eat, and show you the calorie densities and total calories of these foods. This makes it easy to pick the choice that will save you calories. Often, these selections offer a "serving bonus" as well.

In other words, you can eat more of these foods, and still consume fewer calories. You'll lose weight, feel better, and run stronger.

Most runners love pizza, and it can be a healthy postwork-out food, but not when its laden with pepperoni and full-fat mozzarella cheese. Instead, make or order a pizza thats piled high with your favorite chopped vegetables. And trim the fat content by substituting part-skim mozzarella for the full-fat version. Result: A pizza with lower calorie density, much less fat, and many more antioxidants, thanks to all the vegetables.

A bagel isnt a terrible mid-morning snack, but its not the most filling choice either, especially when compared to yogurt, with its high water content. Rolls says the protein in yogurt makes it an especially good snack: You should make an effort to eat lean protein, because theres some evidence that protein is more satiating than other foods.

Cantaloupe

BEATS

Dried Apricots

Serving size: 1 cup, diced Calories: 56 Calorie density: 0.4

Serving size: 1/4 cup Calories: 77 Calorie density: 2.4

Calories saved: 21 – Serving bonus: 3/4 cup

Fresh fruits deliver great flavor and sweetness along with lots of water and fiber. On a per-calorie basis, fresh fruits are a much smarter choice than dried fruits or fruit juices.

Finger food is easy to overeat, so chose snacks with plenty of fiber and water, and you wont have to stop the nibbling before youre satisfied. Vegetables have lots of bulk and will fill you up. Potato chips are compacted, dry, and contain little fiber, but are loaded with fat.

Strawberries

BEATS

Honey

Serving size: 23/4 cup Calories: 100 Calorie density: 0.2

Serving size: 2 tablespoons Calories: 120 Calorie density: 2.9

Calories saved: 20 – Serving bonus: about 2 1/2 cups

We all like a little sweetness on our cereal, but consider a new approach: Leave the honey in the hive, and top your cereal with berries. Suddenly your bowl overflows with tangy decadence, but your calorie count drops. Honey and sugar are dense sweeteners, while berries come full of fiber, nutrients, and water, so you can eat lots of them.

Bran Flakes

BEATS

Granola

Serving size: 11/3 cups Calories: 125 Calorie density: 3.3

Serving size: 1/3 cup Calories: 160 Calorie density: 4.6

Calories saved: 35 – Serving bonus: 1 cup

If youre like most people, you eat your cereal out of the same bowl every morning, and fill it to the rim no matter which cereal youre munching on. But since the energy densities of breakfast cereals vary greatly, so do the calories youre pouring into that bowl. High-fat cereals, such as most granolas, cram lots of calories into a small bowl, while puffed grains and whole-grain flakes take up the most volume for the fewest calories. Serve with skim or low-fat milk to keep the calories low.

Soft Pretzel

BEATS

Corn Chips

Serving size: 3 oz. Calories: 210 Calorie density: 2.5

Serving size: 2 oz. Calories: 306 Calorie density: 5.4

Calories saved: 58 – Serving bonus: approximately 1 3/4 cup

Finger food is easy to overeat, so chose snacks with plenty of fiber and water, and you wont have to stop the nibbling before youre satisfied. Vegetables have lots of bulk and will fill you up. Potato chips are compacted, dry, and contain little fiber, but are loaded with fat.

Heres a simple, healthy trick: Add some fresh, chopped vegetables to your favorite recipe, and you instantly boost the meals volume while reducing the calorie density. A big pile of lettuce and tomatoes will fill your plate, but add very few calories to

Chocolate will never be a diet food, but if youre the type who cant stop at just one bite, consider chocolate milk instead. The extra liquid means you can have way more chocolate without overdosing on fat and calories. Of course, even Rolls, a self-confessed chocolate lover, admits there are times when only the real thing will do. In that case, dont give up the chocolate. You can eat anything you want, she says. You just have to realize that if you eat some calorie-dense foods, youll have to eat lower-density foods some

Here again, fruit adds sweetness and flavor while reducing calories. The added ice tickles your tongue like ice cream, without all the fat. Keep the blender humming an extra minute or 2, and you will add more air to the mix. This boosts the volume of your smoothie, reducing its calorie density even more.

Vegetarian Chili

BEATS

Chili Con Carne

Serving size: 11/2 cup Calories: 240 Calorie density: 0.7

Serving size: 1 cup Calories: 322 Calorie density: 1.3

Calories saved: 82 – Serving bonus: 1/2 cup

Rolls is a big soup fan. Heres why: In a study published in 1999, she and her colleagues fed groups of women one of three meals: a chicken and rice casserole; the same casserole served with a glass of water; or a chicken and rice soup made with exactly the same ingredients and portions contained in the casserole served with water. The women got the same number of calories at this meal, but the ones who ate soup reported less hunger later in the day, and ate less food. Rolls says chili is an especially good soup choice, because it is low-fat and loaded with fiber-rich beans. Remove fatty meats, and you can cut the calorie density nearly in half.

Wild Rice

BEATS

Flour Tortilla

Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories: 83 Calorie density: 1.0

Serving size: 9-inch tortilla Calories: 114 Calorie density: 3.3

Calories saved: 31

Wild rice could easily serve as the volumetrics eating plans poster child. Its filled with water and fiber, so a modest number of calories takes up a lot of space. Next time youre tempted to go for seconds at the burrito bar, skip the tortilla. Instead, add a healthy mix of burrito fixings to some wild rice or brown rice.

Applesauce

BEATS

Fat-free Fig Cookies

(unsweetened) Serving size: 1 cup Calories: 104 Calorie density: 0.4

Serving size: 3 cookies Calories: 135 Calorie density: 3.1

Calories saved: 31

Water matters. Applesauce has it; the cookies dont. Both foods are fat-free, but the calories in cookies are compact, while the high water content of the applesauce gives it fewer calories per bite. Result: You can eat a bigger serving without scarfing many calories.

Turkey Breast

BEATS

Italian Pork Sausage

Serving size: 5 oz. Calories: 221 Calorie density: 1.6

Serving size: 3 oz. Calories: 275 Calorie density: 3.2

Calories saved: 54 – Serving bonus: 2 oz.

Protein is an important part of a runners diet, but the calories that accompany it can add up quickly unless you select low-fat sources. So always choose lean cuts of meat. Turkey breast, for example, has just half the calorie density of sausage. A meatless alternative: Consider substituting high-fiber beans and legumes at some of your meals. Beans are a good protein source.

You don't have to weigh every morsel of food to figure its exact calorie density. You can use the following guidelines to guesstimate where a food falls.

Things that lower calorie density

Things that raise calorie density

Water (think fruit and vegetables)

Fat (cream, butter, cheese, added fats)

Air (rice cakes, popcorn)

Dehydration (dried fruits)

Fiber (whole grains)

Here are some examples of foods that range from very low on the calorie-density scale, to very high.